Morganna's Wish
by Tricklesteria
Summary: The Eight Phases have come back. Tsukasa and Kite must join forces in order to defeat them once again. Coma victims increase, and Morganna has a wish (maybe).
1. Default Chapter

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any character, logos, etc. in the .hack series.

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I. THE RETURN OF PHASE I

"Hey! You!"

__

Who's calling me?

"Yes, you with the wand!"

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Me? Why would someone call me? I…have no friends. No friends in this game…so who would call me? Who? Who?

"Are you even listening? HEEEYYY!!!"

I'm jolted out of my thoughts. I turn around to find a girl. A heavy blade girl. _The_ heavy blade girl. _She looks so innocent. I... couldn't bring myself to hurt her, could I?_

"Hey! My name is Mimiru! You must be real strong! This is a pretty high level area."

I wait. I wait for her to insult me. Because I look different. Because I look strange. I wait. 

"Wow…you're character looks really cool! I haven't seen it before. What class are you?"

__

What class am I? I…don't know. Who am I? I am…

"How come you don't talk? Well, it's kind of rude! You could at least introduce yourself! What's your name?"

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I…I am…I am…

"Never mind, you don't have to answer. Good-bye! Here's my member address if you ever need me."

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I am…

*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

"Hey Tsukasa!"

The young wavemaster turns around to find his recently returned friend running to catch up to him. "It's Mimiru…Haven't seen her in a while."

"Tsukasa, guess what? A few days ago, I met up with this strange character. He was really weird. I've never seen such a type of character. Well, he looks a little familiar…"

"Really? Would you mind… if you described him?"

"Well, I wasn't really sure if it was a "he", but it had horns. A wand. A red wand."

"Oh… I…uh…well, did it have a stony body? A halo over his head?"

"Yeah…"

"But that's…"

"Well, anyway, I gave him my member address."

Tsukasa gasped. "Please, tell me you're lying."

"Why would I lie about something like that?"

"Well, you should stay away from him. Maybe even stop playing for a while."

"Is it _that_ serious?"

"Please… Mimiru…" _Please!_

*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

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I am…Skeith…Yes…that's my name. The girl gave me her member address. Should I…call her? She's my friend. She accepted me…

*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

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I just got a FlashMail. It's from…Skeith? Never heard of him. Maybe he's one of Bear's friends. I'll just go.

Mimiru warps into Chosen Hopeless Nothingness area. She finds the stony-bodied creature she met earlier.

"gasp I-It's you!" _Yes, it's me, Mimiru._ Surprisingly, the words did not come from Skeith's mouth. They seemed to come directly from his thoughts into her own.

"Why did you call me?"

*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

"Kite!"

__

Oh…It's BlackRose…

"Did you see the Board?"

"The Board? No, I haven't… BlackRose, what's wrong? You look like something's up. Is everything all right?"

"It's not all right… It's not all right at all!"

"Well, slow down, just a moment! I'll go read the Board. I'll call you later." logs off

"Wait! Kite!! The message was…"

__

Now, reading the Board…There's only one thing new… what could BlackRose be worried about? This thread is on potato cakes…Huh?

Message: Potato Cakes

Author: **Deleted**

**************Message Deleted**************************************

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Aww…I missed it! CC Corp got to it first! Oh, weelll… What can be so great about potato cakes?

Kite quits "The World" and on his Desktop, finds new mail from Helba:

This was the deleted message:

Message: Potato Cakes

Author: Tsukasa

I apologize for the deceiving thread subject title, for those of you who were interested in potato cakes, but I needed a cover to evade CC Corp for at least a while. 

I'll get straight to the point. My friend, Mimiru, has gone missing. The last time I saw her, she had given her member address to the monster, Skeith. Although I had advised her at the time to stop playing for a while, she's not the type to listen. When I checked the logs, I found that she had last logged in a week ago… and never logged out. If anyone has information on her that can help me, please come to D Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground. 

Obviously, Skeith has come back, and I don't know how it can be. Contact me at Net Slum after meeting Tsukasa.

__

I'll go… but how does this Tsukasa character know of Skeith?

Kite logs back into "The World" and D Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground.

__

This is the place where I first went with BlackRose…I wonder how many other people know of this dungeon…

As he enters the dungeon, Kite grows apprehensive and grips his weapon harder, although he is aware that there are no monsters in this particular dungeon.

*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

"So…you don't really have any friends besides me?"

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No, I don't. Nobody accepts me because of the way I look. And… because of the rumors that have been flying around. You know…

"What rumors?" Mimiru looked at her new friend with questioning eyes.

__

My power…I can't really control it…It's called "Data Drain". I have a temptation to hurt Aura, although she never did anything to me…

"Aura? Oh, that girl… How sad… so you really can't control it?"

__

No…but I do have feelings too…I'm very sorry for the bad things I've done. Mimiru, you're the first person to see me and accept me for who I really am. I…

"Don't mention it, that's what friends are for…" She didn't know why she would call him her friend, because Tsukasa… didn't he warn her against this creature? But she couldn't help it. She couldn't help feeling a strange attraction to this stony-bodied being whom she felt so much sympathy for. Oh, whatever… 

__

But I…I love you Mimiru.

"H- But…" Mimiru was confused. Really confused.

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I really do love you…Mimiru…Please…tell me you love me too…

"Skeith… I…"

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Do you love me?

"Yes…I do…" Mimiru closed her eyes. As long as she was with him, nothing else mattered…

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I love you so much…so much that you must…become…a part of me…Skeith's right "arm" began to tremble and gather energy. He was performing his specialty…Data Drain.

*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

"You know what you just did was unbelievably foolish."

"I…realized that later too, but… I guess I cared about her too much to think properly. It's funny how you think of what I used to be – as unfriendly as a potato cake, and now look at me. I'd do almost anything for her."

"Well, Kite's coming soon – you know, the guy I told you about. Don't worry, he's a trustworthy guy." warps out

Kite had overheard the conversation in the dungeon as he was approaching the doors, and he was sure one of the voices was Helba's voice. But why would she send him here if she herself would come anyway? He entered the dungeon.

There was a young, white-haired wavemaster sitting in front of the statue of Aura. This was the guy who was talking to Helba. His resemblance to Elk was uncanny. Upon his looking up, however, Kite realized that he had the most magnificent, piercing amethyst-colored eyes.

"Are you Kite?"

"Yes, I am… and you are Tsukasa? Well, let's get straight to the point."

"I'm sorry. I made a big mistake. I shouldn't have posted that message on the Board. But now that I have…"

"What is it?"  
"Well, you see, our conversation is being recorded. So we can't meet in the game. It must be in the real world, which is almost always impossible."

"Do you live in Tokyo?"  
"Well, yes. In fact, I do. And I'm assuming you live there as well?"

"I do."  
"Then it's possible to meet. Shimika Hospital."  
"A hospital?"  
"Please." warps out

__

All right, then. Kite prepared himself to leave the dungeon as well, but someone came in before he left.

"BlackRose!"

*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

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I stood there, gasping for breath. I can't believe I had just done such a thing. Data Drain takes a lot of energy. I can't believe I did that. She was my friend. Mimiru was my first friend – my only friend. That's why I can' t believe it. But…as she broke down into a glimmering ball of light, and as I absorbed her, I couldn't help feeling deliriously happy. She was a part of me now. I couldn't have Aura, as I accidentally scattered her over the world, but now…now I had Mimiru all to myself. She'd never leave me again. She was_ me._

*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

"What are you doing here?"

"Kite, I knew that you'd be here. I needed to tell you something. That guy – Tsukasa – I did some research on him."

"sigh You and your research…"

"This is serious, Kite. Not too long ago, there was an elite group who called themselves the Crimson Knights. They believed in justice, righteousness, and high morality. Because of this, they had a close relationship with CC Corporation and often contributed to catching illegally edited characters and other types of criminal activities."

"What does this have to do with…"  
"Just listen. A few years ago, the Crimson Knights were hot on the trail of a character with illegal abilities. I believe that he was even wanted in the name of the Crimson Knights for a short while. Although he was caught, he escaped from captivity after a while, and there are no records of him ever since. Guess what his name was."

"Could it be? Tsukasa…"

"So, don't get involved with him, please. Tsukasa has a criminal record. Don't meet up or anything dangerous. I heard he had the ability to make characters fall comatose. He could be responsible for the entire thing!"

"BlackRose, thank you for warning me, but I can't ignore this."

"Why? Kite…"

"You don't understand. I met him. He didn't look bad, or anything. He looked… very troubled. I want to help him."

*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

A young boy in junior high with crystal blue eyes walked through the doors of Shimika Hospital. He was not injured in any way and did not have visible illness. He seemed to be waiting for someone. 

"Kite?" The boy looked up at the sound of the nurse's voice. "Someone named Tsukasa wants to see you. Please step to hospital ward 108."

The boy, known as Kite, walked through the long corridors of Shimika Hospital until he made it to ward 108. The patient in the room was listed on the label: Shimokita Mimiru. _Was she the one?_

"Kite?" Hearing his name called for a second time, he looked around quickly, meeting the one he came to see. It was boy of around 13 years of age – a few years younger than himself. This boy had startling red eyes and playful dimples on his cheeks.

"Are you…"

The boy shook his head solemnly. "Tsukasa couldn't make it today. You know, there are… problems at home, and she couldn't leave without her father noticing."

"_She?_ What are you talking about?"

"Never mind. Anyway, I've been officially sent by Tsukasa to tell you the situation."

"…Fine, then. What is it that was too confidential to be spoken of in the game?"

"Mimiru fell into a coma."

"I can see that. Shimokita Mimiru is in this ward."

"Come inside."

The two boys stepped into the hospital ward to see Mimiru. She looked around 17 years old, with shoulder length black hair, and seemed frail and thin at the moment. She was suffering greatly, her life depending on machines and test tubes.

"What is your reaction?" asked the boy with the red eyes.

"I've seen this before – my friend, Orca, also fell into a coma," Kite responded, annoyed.

"Ahh, but you've never _seen_ it before, have you…"

"How…"

"I can see by your reaction. You're surprised."

"…"

"They didn't let you in before, did they? CC Corp was corrupted and no visitors were allowed to see the ones who fell into comas."

"So, what do I do to help her?" Kite felt he needed to help. His natural heroic instincts began to take over him once again.

"Save Aura. Destroy CyberConnect Corporation. Prevent the rebirth of – "

At that moment, a doctor comes in and interrupts. "Oh, I'm sorry, but visiting hours are over."

Kite groaned. The other boy gets up to leave.

"Wait! Rebirth of who?" 

"We'll finish this conversation another time."

"May I ask one more question? What's your name?"  
"Sora."

Kite sighed and turned to leave the hospital as well.

"Kite?"  
He turned quickly. The doctor was looking at him. "I usually don't play these code name games with little children, but here: a message for you. From someone named Tsukasa."

Kite quickly looked through the note. It only had four words on it. "S Pulsating Truth's Worst Core." It was on blue notepaper in hurriedly scrawled red ink. Was it blood?

*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

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I have everything I could ever want in The World, or do I? I have Mimiru, she is me. But wait! What about Aura? I must have her…too…She will be…me…

Skeith disappeared into a large multi-colored hole in cyberspace into another area.

*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

Kite logged into The World, not knowing what else to expect. "Hey! Kite's back!" He sighed. Yes, it was true that he hadn't logged in for about a week, but he had finals to take care of…now it was almost summer break anyway, and he'd be going to high school next year. But what about Yasuhiko…he wouldn't be graduating this year… It was only two weeks until graduation. It was then that Kite made a steely decision. He would defeat CC Corp and prevent the rebirth of whatever it was _and_ rescue Aura in an attempt to bring Yasuhiko – Orca – back to the conscious world before graduation, no matter how hard it was going to be. 

"Kite?"

"Yes, Mia?"

"Um, well… you know, I was wondering… would you like to go on a dungeon adventure with me?" Mia was grinning wickedly. "Elk would like to come as well…"

The young wavemaster just so happened to hear the conversation and turned beet red. "Um no! I don't! Not today, anyway…" Then he quickly warped off to another server.

"What's with him?" asked Kite.

"Nothing, really…" Mia was looking very resentful. "Except that Elk's got a girlfriend. He's probably meeting up with her right now."

"WHAAAAAAAAT?" _Elk never was very outgoing. I thought his best friend was Mia…_

"Oh, well… do you want to go on a dungeon adventure anyway? I haven't witnessed the "power of the bracelet" in quite a while."

__

Speaking of meeting people… "Sorry, but I have to go somewhere. I have to meet someone."

Mia was infuriated.

"Who cares about BlackRose anyway?" She was close to tears.

"Wh-What are you talking about?" _Mia is acting…peculiar._

"Well, you're going to meet BlackRose, aren't you?"

"That's not true…Mia…" But it was too late. Mia had already logged off for the day.

*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

A young girl dressed in white was being chased by a large creature with a red wand.

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I warped through all six servers to find you…

"How can this be? Skeith…I thought you were dead!"

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Aura…

"I-I can't move!" The stony-bodied Skeith had paralyzed Aura, and his wrist revealed the hidden bracelet, which was now glowing.

"H-He's going to perform…Aaaaaahhhhhh!"

Welcome to my body.


	2. Rebirth of

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II. REBIRTH OF…

*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

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S Pulsating Truth's Worst Core. What a strange place. Kite walked through a large doorway-like area into…_Hey! This is…Net Slum!_ As he walked through the large numbers of failed, pitiful character data, he also kept an eye out for Helba. _After all, I had promised._

"Kite? It's really you!"

Turning around, Kite's hopes were crushed when it wasn't Helba.  
"Oh, it's you…Tartarus…Hey, you don't happen to have seen Helba here lately, have you?"

"Yes, she has been coming here often asking of you, but she just left. Now, there are only those two here." Tartarus pointed to two characters talking to each other; a wavemaster with a pretty girl.

"Oh ho! So there you are, Elk! And you're girlfriend's pretty cute!" Kite exclaimed before he could stop himself.

The girl, who was of the heavy axeman class, looked up. She had startling cold eyes for someone of her beauty. Immediately, Kite felt he had been mistaken. _Ewww…who would like her? She looks so…scary!_

"Tsukasa, is he the one?" she asked without any emotion at all.

"Y-yes, S-Subaru…" _So it wasn't Elk, it was Tsukasa! How could he have gotten the two mixed up again?_

"Tsukasa! Good to see you! So, how are you doing anyway?" Kite asked in concern.

"Okay," Tsukasa managed, not taking his eyes off of the girl known as Subaru.

"Hey, are you Kite? You're pretty good-looking!" Subaru immediately brightened up at seeing Kite approaching her. She got closer to Kite.

"Don't lie, Tsukasa. You aren't okay…not from what _I've_ heard." _I completely ignored Subaru._

"Who told you that?" Tsukasa asked defiantly.

"Kite… do you think I'm pretty?" Subaru asked.

"Sora told me. He said you had problems at home." _I knew perfectly well that she was trying to flirt with me. Little licentious brat._

"Sora's such a…little kid. Don't mind him."

"But really, Tsukasa…that note…it was written in blood…"

"That was just red ink!" Kite noticed that Tsukasa was purposely avoiding his gaze.

"Ughh…why is everyone ignoring me?!?" Subaru was so angry she gated out of the area.

"Wait! Subaru!" Tsukasa called after her.

"_Finally!_" Kite grinned at Tsukasa. "I think your girlfriend likes me."

A light pink tinged Tsukasa's cheeks. "_Girlfriend_? What are you talking about?" Then he looked down. "S-Subaru hasn't really been herself lately."

"What do you mean?"

"She used to be a kind person, really. Two years ago, she graduated from high school. I was sad, but Mimiru always kept us two in touch, and I could always speak to her over the net. Then, a year ago, Mimiru also graduated and moved to go to college. She just came back for summer break when this happened. Skeith…"

"I'm going to high school next year."

"Wait, you're not even in high school yet? You're pretty young! Almost as young as Sora!"

"I'm assuming then that you're old?"

"That's not important. Anyway, this place…Net Slum, is the only place in the game where we can talk without being overheard."

"What do I have to prevent the rebirth of? Sora never finished his sentence."

"Morganna Mode Gone."

"Morganna…"

"And there have been rumors of another being…the AI… I don't really know much about any of them. Sorry I'm not much help, but you are the one with the bracelet."

__

How does he know? Oh yeah…Helba… 

"Kite?" Tsukasa asked shyly. "Will you help me save Mimiru? Please?"

"Sure. That was all you wanted to ask me?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"Hey, Tsukasa? What's your real name?"

"My real name…Uggabugga."

"What?"

"Just kidding. If you want to know my real name, it's…gasp"

"What is it?"

"Behind…"

__

And as I slowly turned around, I felt my heart clench up and any happiness I had dried up. Behind me was…Skeith…

*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

"Oh, Kite…WHERE ARE YOU!?"

"BlackRose, don't work yourself up into a fit." Balmung was afraid. Not of Cubia or the Eight Phases; they were dead. He was afraid of BlackRose's temper.

"Why not? He's been gone for an ENTIRE WEEK!!! What if he's fallen into a … oh no!"

"BlackRose, please…will you stop worrying for more than one second? Kite's tough, remember? Cubia, data bugs, the Eight Phases…He won't be defeated so easily."

"Kite!"_ Please be okay…_

"Skeith!!" _I didn't expect to see him so soon…_

"_Skeith…_Where's Mimiru?"

"Please, Tsukasa, calm down!"

__

Tsukasa, Listen to your friend. There's nothing you can do. After all, remember you brought this upon yourself.

"Hey, Tsukasa! Who's that woman talking? I don't recognize her voice."

"No…not you! I- I'll destroy you!"

__

Please, Tsukasa…Remember that I was your friend. I gave you a chance, and when you chose to disobey, that's when I set this creature off. It's your fault more than anyone else. However…Kite, you are a different matter. Join me. As long as you walk with me, I will protect you.

"Don't listen, Kite!"

"Who is she? She'll…protect me?"

__

Yes, I'll always protect you. Just go wherever you please, and I shall be by your side.

"It sounds like a good deal." _Maybe this woman can get rid of Skeith for us._

"Quick! Cast her off before she becomes more powerful. Her words are already getting stronger."

__

Do not listen to his words, Kite. He is a dirty traitor. He had ripped me of my power before. Come, Kite.

"Can you get this monster that you set off to go away again? Do you have the power to do that?" Kite was very curious to know this new being's powers.

**__**

That depends on the strength of your character. If you really wish for it to disappear…

"Hey, did you hear that, Tsukasa?"

"……"

"…Tsukasa?"

__

I must…have you as well…Tsukasa…Become a part of me!

"Who's that voice? No, it's not a voice…it feels like a thought being transmitted into my head. It's…SKEITH! (Geez, that's his voice?) Let go of Tsukasa!"

Tsukasa was no longer conscious. Skeith had knocked him down and was getting ready to perform Data Drain.

__

I must have them all…all four females who took part in my birth…

****

Hurry up, Skeith…You must destroy them quick…Then I can deal with Kite…

Morganna…Do not interfere…or I will get you too…

****

W-What? Do not disobey me, Skeith!!!

I must…have them all……………………………Only you…Tsukasa…left…

****

Noooooooooooo!!!!!!

Then, all was quiet. Skeith disappeared into a large multi-colored hole, leaving Tsukasa behind. Many colored light beams started shooting around everywhere. One hit Kite through his chest.

"Wait! Skeith! Mysterious girl! Don't leave yet!" Kite needed to know. He _needed to know_ who they were.

"Who are you? _Who are you? I need to know._" Then Kite lost consciousness as well.

*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

Kite got ready to fight. This was going to be easy. It was the last Data Bug in "The World". Then, this MMORPG would no longer be corrupted. This was it.

His party members were Tsukasa and Subaru.

"Tsukasa! Magic! Subaru, First Aid!"

"All right, Kite," said Tsukasa. ("Hey, that rhymes!") "You're the boss," Subaru chanted cheerily.

"This is the last one, and then there'll be no more!" Kite was ready to fight. The magic portal opened. The Data Bug was a Mushroom King.

"What? This is a low-level dungeon monster. Oh, well…" Kite thought to himself. He watched to make sure Tsukasa cast the right element-type spells, and then got into action himself. As he was hitting…

"Hey, Kite! Watch out!" He heard Tsukasa's warning one nano-second too late. Oops. He died. As he woke up as a ghost, he began pleading with Subaru, having a pretend fight.

"Hey, Subaru, don't just stand there, revive me!"

"Sorry, no more Resurrects… Who told you to be careless?" 

"_Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top_?"

"Well… I have the Rip Maen spell…"

"Oh, Subaru, if you heal me, I'll buy you five Artisan's Souls!"

Subaru giggled. "All right, all right, Rip M– !"

"AAAARRGHH!!!!" A scream came from Tsukasa.

"What's wrong, Tsukasa?" Subaru was distracted from resurrecting Kite. "Oh, my gosh! Stop!" The fungus mushroom Data Bug was stomping on Tsukasa on both feet.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Kite was baffled and scared. "Tsukasa, you're HP is down to 0! How come you haven't become a ghost yet?"

"Oh, no! The Mushroom King won't stop! Stop! Please! He's already dead! Why is he still alive? Let him die, so I can heal him! Rip Maen! Rip Maen! Rip _Maen!!!_"

Finally, as if the Mushroom King heard her, he stopped. Tsukasa lay there, his character flickering and almost ceasing to exist. Then, the Data Bug advanced to Subaru. 

"N-No! Don't hurt me! Save me! Kite! Tsukasa! I can't do this!" Like the coward she was, she ran and disappeared from the room. Kite assumed that she turned off her computer. The Data Bug resumed to torturing Tsukasa.

stomp crunch stomp STOMP CRUNCH Bones cracking. Hearing the yells of pain, Kite couldn't help cursing.

"Subaru! Stupid idiot! Cowardly abandoner! Come back! Come back and heal me!"

"Aaah!"

"No, Tsukasa! Tsukasa! _Noooooo!_"

"Kite!"

"Tsukasa!"

"Kite!"

"Tsukasa!"

"KITE!!! WAKE UP!!!!"

*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

Kite woke up with a startling jolt. Where was he? He was… in front of the computer terminal. On his screen was "The World." Had he fallen asleep while playing? His headphones came off when he fell unconscious and were lying on the ground. He checked the time. He had been playing/sleeping for 3 hours. His parents weren't home yet. Good thing. He put the headphones back on. He resumed the game.

*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

"Kite! Oh my gosh, you finally woke up!" BlackRose and Balmung were staring at him in concern. Maybe it was just his imagination, but to Kite, Balmung seemed a little uneasy.

"Where am I?" He could barely sit up and looked around sleepily. _So Tsukasa's all right…_

"Kite! You've got a lot of explaining to do!" BlackRose seemed truly mad. "What were you doing sleeping next to that- that _wavemaster_ at Net Slum? Oh, thought you could get away with it, did you? And you- you were shouting his name in you dreams! What are you two doing that you can't tell me?" BlackRose was close to tears.

"Whoa, you make it sound like we're in _love_ or something. There's nothing to worry about! I'm not _gay_ or anything…"

"Oh, but there _is_ something to worry about! Don't you know? In the real world, Tsukasa- he…he's not a boy!"

"Yeah, he's like a big man, or something…he's in high school or college…"

"No, that's not – "

"Don't worry, all we were doing was…_all we were doing was_…Wait!" As he cleared his mind, he remembered. "_Where's Tsukasa_? Oh, my gosh! Is he all right?"

"He's on the other bed," Balmung spoke for the first time. "We rented two beds from the Grunty Shopkeeper. Kite, you know how dangerous it is to be speaking with a character like… Well, you _do_ know that Tsukasa has a criminal record, don't you?"

"Oh, yeah! I forgot to ask him about that!" Kite rushed over to Tsukasa's bed. He was breathing deeply and sweating a lot. "Tsukasa, are you all right? BlackRose…was I like this a few moments ago?"

"No, you were screaming and having dreams. But you weren't really panting or sweating. You were really still, like you had left your terminal."

"Kite…well, in truth…Tsukasa was good friends with Subaru." Balmung's face grew pink as he spoke.

"_Subaru?_ That cowardly abandoner?"

"What do you mean? Subaru was one of the courageous women who helped the awakening of Aura! If I remember correctly…it was after Subaru, Mimiru, Tsukasa, and Aura left Morganna's lair that Helba claimed she found the unusual stream of data which was Skeith." Balmung seemed determined to back up Subaru.

__

Subaru? Mimiru? Tsukasa? Aura?

*_ I must have them all…all four females who took part in my birth…*_

"That's it! The four females! But wait! Tsukasa? He's not…"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you, Kite!" BlackRose interrupted. "Tsukasa's a girl!"

Finally, amid all the loud conversation, Tsukasa woke up from his restless sleep. 

__

Where am I? I can hear Kite's voice.

"What? He's a girl? I-It can't be," Kite denied it. He refused to believe it. _Well, actually, it's most likely the truth…remember what Sora said…_

Looking down at Tsukasa, Kite was surprised to see that he was awake.

"Oh! Um…sorry if we were talking about you…" Kite could feel heat rising up to his cheeks. If he really was a girl…

"Where am I? I need to get out. She has been reborn!" Tsukasa made a large effort to stand up, but fell down immediately. His ankle was sprained.

"Sorry, but you'll be down for quite a while," BlackRose seemed to take joy in putting Tsukasa down. "So you might as well explain what you're up to."

"What's wrong, Tsukasa? Was that woman…Morganna?" Kite asked gently.

"M-Morganna! Not her!" 

"Balmung, you know her?"

"Yes, she was the one Orca had spoken about. Morganna Mode Gone…"

"Tsukasa, what did Morganna want? Did you do something to anger her?" asked BlackRose.

"I …oh, no…this can't be happening! Not again!" Tsukasa groaned.

"What is it?" Kite asked, confused.

"I can't log out."


	3. Death of Phase I and Subaru's Confession

****

III. DEATH OF PHASE I AND SUBARU'S CONFESSION

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It's too bad, Skeith…If only you had been more obedient…I would have let you live. Now, the souls of Aura, Mimiru, and Subaru are mine. But I must…I must have Tsukasa…

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"Tsukasa! I came as soon as I could – right after school!"

"Hello, Kite…" Tsukasa began.

"Kite!! There you are! "

"Hehe…_Subaru_? Why are _you_ here?"

"Because I just am. Because I just wanted to be with you…"

"S-Subaru, _please_…"

"Subaru, could you leave Tsukasa and me alone for a moment? There's something I need to talk about with…him." Kite tried to get Subaru away.

"Kite, you know… Don't be with Tsukasa. He's not worth it. Not one little bit! C'mon, let's go to a romantic area together, Kite!" Before Kite could respond, Subaru pulled Kite close to her against his will warped him to a different area: S Chosen Hopeless Abyss.

Tsukasa just stood there dumbfounded.

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S Chosen Hopeless Abyss was not a smart choice to go to for a romantic walk. For example, there were monsters everywhere! It was a pretty high level area and Subaru was scared senseless by the time Kite had data-drained the monsters on the field.

"Oh, thank you so much for saving me, Kite ! You see, I'm only on level 73. These monsters are so big and scary. I have only been playing for 2 ½ weeks !"

"WHAAT?!? You're on level 73, you've been playing for 2 weeks, and you're afraid of monsters? You don't make sense. How can you be on such a high level? How'd you level up so fast?"

"_Me_? I've never leveled up my entire life! You see…hey, Kite ! You promise that what I'm about to tell you will stay a secret? Promise not to tell Tsukasa?"

"Depends on what it is…If it's important…"

"Please!"

"I…I promise." Kite crossed his fingers.

"I'm not the girl Tsukasa knows."

"Huh? Tsukasa doesn't know you? But didn't you try to capture him at one point and everything?"

"Yeah, but what I'm trying to tell you is, I'm not her. I'm not Subaru."

"But here it is! Your character's name on my name is spelled: "S-U-B-A-R-U."

"Subaru was my cousin. I'm not her. My name is Riki."

"So, the reason why you're playing Subaru's character is because she gave you her password and permission. But why?"

"I found her password. But I don't have her permission."

"Then the only other reason is that she…"

"She can no longer access the game. Three weeks ago, she fell unconscious while playing the game. According to her mother, she had found an interesting area in the game worth exploring earlier that day. Her last words right before she fell unconscious were, 'What have I done…'"

"_No_!"

*_ I must have them all…all four females who took part in my birth…*_

* Only you…Tsukasa…left…*

That means…Mimiru, Aura, Subaru…Tsukasa! He's the only one left!

"Kite ? Please don't tell Tsukasa! When I first accessed the game…he was…nice to me, and I wanted to be with him always. I wanted to get to know him as well as he thought he knew me. Then he started hanging out with that _Mimiru_ girl, so I decided to hang out with you to make him jealous. But he doesn't seem jealous. Why ? Why?"

"Because…you can't possibly make a girl jealous of you by hanging out with a guy more than her."

"What are you…"

"Tsukasa's a girl."

"I-I can't accept that! He's…been so nice to me, and…I can't just give him up! You're lying to me, aren't you? Tell me you are! It's because…you're jealous that I like him, right?"

" I can't tell you I'm lying. Because it's the truth."

"You really are horrible!" In anger, Subaru gated out without Kite.

…_Oh, well_…_there was nothing I could do…_

After standing for a while in the now quiet field, Kite listened to the lonely background music playing. He was alone to contemplate his scattered thoughts for a while.

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Tsukasa's the only one left, and Subaru and Mimiru have both fallen victim…if Tsukasa's the only one left, then – that means Aura has also - ! I must not let Morganna and Skeith succeed. Right now, time is standing still. It feels like I have all the time in the world, but I don't. Even now, Skeith and Morganna are working to get Tsukasa into their hands. But it won't happen just yet. I can feel it.

Then, realizing that it turned night in the area while he was thinking, Kite returned to Fort Ouph.

Tsukasa was waiting for him there. "Subaru told me you'd come soon, but I didn't know you took so long to gate out of an area."

"I was just thinking."

"About what?"

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Tsukasa…your friends have all fallen victim to Skeith…do you know that?

"Nothing really."  
"Really? You spent a long time thinking about nothing. Are you…sure you don't want to talk about it?" His piercing violet eyes stared right through Kite, making him feel guilty.

"I…"

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Are you aware that you are next on the list?

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"Tsukasa…I -"

"Shhh…Don't say anything. Tell me when you're ready. Anyway, I'm off to meet someone…See you."

"Wait!"

"What?"

"I want to come along."

"…All right. I'm just going to see a friend. It's nothing important, so don't be disappointed."

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I'll never leave you, Tsukasa. Don't worry. Morganna will come sooner or later, but I'll be there when that happens.

"What are the keywords?"

"S Hidden Oblivious Wavemaster."

"All right then, let's go."

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S Hidden Oblivious Wavemaster. It was a beautiful place, actually – one of those fields where it's always night and the moon is always full. The crickets were heard chirping in the background.

"Tsukasa? You're sure your friend told you to meet here?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Who was it again?"

"Well, I'm not sure you know her. But we're not exactly really good friends – more like acquaintances. Anyway, her name's-"

"Hey! Kite! Over here!"

"Huh?" Kite turned around to see who was calling him. "Elk! What a surprise!"

Elk seemed even more surprised. "What a coincidence! We were just getting ready to meet somebody in this field!"

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Huh? Kite thought. "Wait. You and who else? Your _girlfriend_?" He asked slyly, surprised to see Elk's face blush a deep crimson.

"So, you're here with a girl, huh? Who is she?"

"Um, well, uh…my, isn't the weather so nice today? Where's that other wavemaster anyway?"

"Stop changing the subject, Elk. Tsukasa's right here." But when Kite turned around to show Elk, he saw that Tsukasa was indeed missing. "Oh no! Where's Tsukasa?" Kite asked, turning back to Elk, and then he noticed that Elk had disappeared as well. "Wait! Elk! Where are you?" Kite yelled at the top of his lungs and stomping his feet. Unfortunately, all the commotion stimulated a field portal, and this was a pretty high level area. Monsters came rushing out of the portal, charging for Kite. "Noooo!"

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"So, are you doing alright these days, Tsukasa?"

"I'm all right. Is that all you wanted to ask me about? There must be another reason you called me out here, right?" Tsukasa asked the young golden-haired wavemaster.

"Well, actually, I heard that you couldn't log out again. Is that true?" BT asked.

"Well, what does it matter to you? You've never actually cared about me anyway."

"I just…wanted to see how you were doing. What's so wrong about that?"

"Next time you have nothing to tell me, don't even bother calling me."

"B-BT!!!!"

Tsukasa turned to find Kite with another wavemaster running his way. "Who's that?"

"Oh, that's just Elk. He's the wavemaster who's been following me around the past few weeks. I also wanted to introduce him to you, besides asking you about your strange predicament."

Tsukasa scrutinized the unfamiliar character for a moment. His attire was similar to that of his own character design, except for slight changes in the outfit, hair, and eye color. Yes, this young boy seemed to be someone you could place your trust on. 

"Hello, Elk. Nice to meet you," Tsukasa greeted him.

"Who are you? You were the guy with Kite, weren't you? What were you saying to BT?"

BT immediately began to take charge of the situation. "Let me do the introducing. Elk, this is the guy I told you about. Meet Tsukasa."

"Oh, so you're thefamous Tsukasa, huh? I've heard about you, and your monster."

Kite looked confused. "What monster?"


End file.
